h4x354x0r

Going Viral!

2012-02-12T03:17:45Z

While I was skulking around in the secret hideout, My Hack Man vs Circle Preacher video was busting out in public big time!

It all started with a Facebook friend, The Digital Ninja, that I picked up last year during our 1st "Snowpocalypse." I saw a picture of him, pulling a sled (one of those big-ass red plastic toboggans) down a snow-covered road, packed and piled high with beer and other spirits. I didn't know him, but I knew I had to friend him.

A year later, he shared a link to a new Facebook page called Mizzou Meme. That was some funny shit with good local humor, so I had to go like that page. In the process, I posted an innocent "So... when are you going to lampoon that old, shirtless Speaker Circle Hacky Sack guy?" on the page. I was hoping to get some responses from people that didn't realize who I was.

Damned if The Digital Ninja didn't out me within about 5 minutes. It took the Mizzou Meme peeps all of another 15 minutes to get me all memed up: The Most Interesting Man in the World one of actor Jonathan Goldsmith, with the caption, "I don't always play Hacky Sack" at the top, and "But when I do, I learn from the Speaker Circle Hacky Sack guy" at the bottom. Plenty of Mizzou peeps saw that!

A short while later, another student posted a link to my YouTube account on the Mizzou Meme post. The ball was rolling, although I didn't know it yet. I was just getting started with my weekly footbag session at the Secret Hideout. The next morning, another student who had started following me on Twitter, Big E (Eric), posted the video to Reddit. It ended up spending several hours on the front page there.

All day Friday, with the video featured on Reddit, I saw my video view numbers climb. 2,000 by noon. 5,000 by 5pm. Almost 8,000 before I went to bed last night. When I woke up this morning to check, the view count had jumped to almost 25,000! The interest has finally died down now, with a view count holding steady just under 27,000. I call that "Slightly Viral." (Truly viral videos get 10+ times that)

UPDATE: The website RightThisMinute has now posted a segment about the video: Hack Man vs Campus Preacher - who will win? that takes a reasonably funny, and kind to me, assessment of the video.

So, I've finally gone slightly viral! I'm pretty sure the ~27K view count was driven up by people putting the video on Auto-Play to run up the view count, and the number will probably eventually be reduced to reflect unique hits. Still, I find it rather pleasing to get so much attention.

One other thing needs a little attention now: my actual footbag session this week at the Secret Hideout. I got out there about 6:30, only to discover the building schedule has changed again, and I can't get in there until after 8pm. It was during the hour-long wait that all the Mizzou Meme activity took place.

When I finally got to kick, I had my computer with me, so I started tweeting about it: "Sweet! Secret Hideout is MINE MINE MINE! And I've got my computer and I can tweet about it. Footbag / Hacky Sack session starts NOW"

A short while later, while I was still really just warming up: "Uh oh… first shot of sciatica pain already. damn…" Yeah, my back has been pretty fucked up since my blowout 2 x 2 hour sessions last week.

But that obviously didn't stop me. Sticking to my 5-footbag rotation, it takes me almost 20 minutes to get to my 5th bag - my favorite - my blue and white Abshire bag I've named The Man. Out comes another tweet: "I swear it always takes 1 footbag rotation to get all warmed up. When I get to the last of my 5 bags, "The Man," It all just clicks."

Somewhere in the middle of the next bag rotation, I'm obviously hurting a bit... "Gaaa! Not stretching my hamstrings enough. Classic case of "tennis elbow" but in my knees instead. #footbag problems"

Still didn't stop me. My tweets fell silent for a while as I got down to business. Finally, "Pushing past an hour on my footbag session! Back and knees have loosened up, feeling OK, not stopping now!" I've learned to trust this will happen, that my body will warm up, loosen up, and the pain will melt away as the shredding solidifies.

There was only one more thing on my bucket list: "OK, now starts the add counting round… #footbag session is still on!" Not adds, technically, but guiltless strings. I was listening to internet radio - Last.fm - and it turned out that 3 of the 5 songs for this round were really short. I was obviously still hurting a bit too, and maybe a bit worn out by now. I was disappointed to report:

Whoa… DISMAL numbers for guiltless strings tonight:

@PhatTyre Sport: 6

Mr. Softie: 9

Phatty orig: 4

Repeat: 10

The Man: 13

Hurtin' a bit...

I can usually at least break 10 with all my bags, and almost always break 20 with one of my Abshire bags. As usual, The Man won best bag, but only 13?!? Sheesh...

Still, I got to kick! I love playing footbag, an even when I'm not playing well technically, I can still have a blast on the funky chicken dance side of things.

1:45 / 11:00 - Thanks for tuning in!

First Exalted, Then Spurned!

2012-02-03T00:11:57Z

Midwinter footbag just doesn't get any better than this. I've managed to squeeze in TWO 2-hour footbag sessions on Speaker's Circle this week! First, a special Monday session, where I mix it up with one of the Circle Preachers:

Then, my usual Footbag Thursday provides another perfect day for kicking. Except this time, I'm totally spurned and mocked by the students...

If you can hear the song playing in the background, get this: the student group there raising money for Camp Kesem - a camp for kids who's parents have cancer - had the tunes all set up and cranking when I got there. Sweet! My radio is low on batteries anyway.

I was about 30 seconds into the 2nd song, with my 2nd bag, when I realized it was the SAME song, again. This went on. They literally played the same one song, over and over, for two solid hours. It's a darned good thing it was actually a good dance tune to play footbag to! They were out there for a great cause, and have raised quite a bit of money (I even donated a few bucks), and I'm still appreciative that they did supply the tunes, but... please... a bigger playlist next time?!?

At one point, the cops even came, and made them turn the music down a bit. I was like, "NO, NO, NO! Don't make them turn it down, just make them play different songs!" They wouldn't listen though. Those cops have their priorities so screwed up...

I'm pleasantly surprised at how I feel after a 2nd 2-hour session in one week. My legs didn't cramp. My ankle didn't hurt. My sciatica didn't act up. I played strong, and threw down some moves. I approve of this result.

2:00 / 2:00 / 9:15 - I'm so far ahead of my annual goal, it's almost scary. Feels good though! Thanks for tuning in...

Just. Gotta. Push. Myself.

2012-01-27T03:25:38Z

A little bit, at least. Not rashly, not harshly, but steadily. Push myself.

Catching up on events: I totally blew off footbag the week after my 2012 start. What can I say? It was Beer, Tools, and Electricity. When there's an opportunity to mix those three...

Since then, I've been back at the Secret Hideout, faithfully putting in some kicking time. The good thing is, I've got access to the building at 6, instead of 8, for this semester. That gives me a much bigger window of opportunity. Last week, the cleaning crew caught me, and ended my session, but I still managed 1:45.

The "workout" pattern I've settled into is to count 3+ add rallies with each bag for a bit, as I rotate through them with each song. My numbers were pretty dismal, for the most part. The Man took best of show at 28; Mr. Softy 2nd with 19, and low to mid teens for the rest.

But I'm trying to push myself. At least a little bit. I love playing footbag, and I'd probably still do it even if I could only do basic kicks. But even if I suck compared to today's top freestylers, I still love being able to cut a few moves. Friends have thrown down gauntlets; Maybe I haven't picked them up, but they're still on the table, and I keep looking at the damned things...

I'm very eager for spring. Of course we've hardly had a winter, but I'm looking for that first nice day that will draw the students out to the circle. Until then, I'm trying to apply gentle pressure in the Secret Hideout so I am fit and ready for spring. Speaking of that, I believe I've gained about 6-7 lbs since Christmas. I've stopped the increase, but taking it back off is gonna take real work.

Push. Myself.

1:45 / 1:30 / 5:15 - Thanks for tuning in!

New Years, Old Years...

2012-01-07T21:44:40Z

Happy New Years, everyone! My first footbag session of 2012 sure started off right, with a 2nd freak, mid-winter, super-warm Thursday in a row:

The first freak-warm Thursday capped a fantastic 75-hour plus year for 2011:

I didn't do the typical New Years post a week ago, but I feel the need for some New Year's accounting now. According to last year's blah blah blah post about it, My 2011 goals were:

1. 60 hours of footbag. I did 75! I had a great year, lots of great sessions, stayed healthy, had a special "48th Birthday, 30 Years of Footbag" celebration session. It seems like I've lost some add ratio / technical density over the last year. But, as always, I love kicking and have a great time; even as a slowly fading, old-school styler.

2. 3,000 Km on bike. Well... I'm certain I didn't make that goal, but I don't know how far I actually did go. My cyclocomputer display got so bad it became completely unreadable. I'd estimate I barely did over 2,000 Km; a far cry from my stated goal. What can I say? It was another bad bike year.

My 2012 Goals are:

1. 60 hours of footbag! (you knew that was coming, didn't you?)

2. 2,400 Km on the bike (I got a new dual-bike computer for that

3. Do *something* kinda crazy (to be determined rashly)

2:00 / 2:00 - I'm a bit bummed to reset the counter, but... a great start to a new year! Thanks for tuning in!

Next to the last is a blast!

2011-12-23T03:10:39Z

This is almost it! The next to the last Thursday of the year, my next-to-last session of the year.

Let's see... Building is clear @ 5, early access! Feeling good 'cause I helped put the smack-down on our first big intersession work project already. Feeling very stoked to have such a great footbag year already, over 72 hours before tonight's session started. I'M so thankful for the Secret Hideout, when it all comes down to it. This is my 3rd season here, meriting a spot in the top 3-4 most stable winter venues ever. I'm still wistful for the magical 5-year run I got out of the ARC, but... The Secret Hideout is genuinely worthy - especially for the price - as a winter shred venue.

So, I got my iPad, set up my boombox and all my stuff, my footbags, towel, and water, and did my footbag thing. And even though I didn't seem to be playing so well, time just flew by, and before I knew it I was already past 1:15. In fact I ended up pushing myself solidly past 2 hours. The last nearly 25 minutes was counting guiltless strings, each bag to each song in turn (PhatTyre Pro, Mr. Softy, Original Fattie, Repeat, and The Man). Then, 3 more rallies with each bag in turn. The only one I'll share is a 25 contact string with The Man near the very end. So of course he won one more bonus song round. You getting a feeling for why this session kept going on so long?

So, I've got one more possible session left this year. Again, I've already had what I consider an absolutely awesome year, I feel very pleased with the situation. I don't need to make anything in particular happen that last session. But, I do still want (and plan) to play that last footbag session!

2:00 / 74:15 - Thanks for tuning in!

Local Hacky Sack Guru is Hall of Famer

2011-12-16T04:20:25Z

OK, so my footbag session at the Secret Hideout basically sucked this week. So, I offer you, instead, a great article recently done on me by an MU student:

Local Hacky Sack Guru is Hall of Famer

As for the session itself, the floor was a mess from all the rain recently. And, I forgot to wash my footbags. The PhatTyre bags stay soft, but the facile Abshire bags get a little crusty. At least the music was good. Got the iPad rocking again, and have my Twitter account set up on it now, so I can sorta live-tweet my session.

Sad fact is, I've got things on my mind again this week, and spent too much time pacing the floor in agitation. I wasn't counting contacts very much, but I'd be surprised if I hit more than a dozen guiltless in a single string.

I wasn't planning on doing any more than an hour, and I was satisfied to throw in the towel when the timer went, Ding! (plus a little bit extra to make up for the pacing) I can tell it's gonna be a hard slog through winter this year. I want my warm summer days on Speaker Circle.

1:00 / 72:15 - Thanks for tuning in!

The Session That Satisfies

2011-12-09T05:56:02Z

Whee! This week's session was WAY better than last week's! I wasn't feeling particularly enthusiastic; my sciatica was doing it's usual Thursday acting up, and I was experiencing another case of mild intestinal distress. I think I'm gonna have to stop getting a veggie slice at Shakes' Pizza for lunch. That's just about the only common food Item I can think of related to this problem.

I was also in a much clearer state of mind today than last week. I've gotten to fix several things over the last couple of days. It always makes me feel better when I can figure out a problem and take something that was broken and make it whole again.

Still, with a distinct lack of enthusiasm, I occupied my Secret Hideout, and started kicking. One small pleasure was that I've been issued a new iPad at work, so I've got all my music on it. My old iPod's headphone jack is so worn out it's hard to get both channels to play. Ironically, this brand new iPad has a similar problem, but not nearly as bad. So it was nice to have a fairly reliable music source tonight. I could have taken my laptop, but it's one more clunky thing to carry around.

Now, for the good news: the session may have started slow and uninspired, but I picked up the pace pretty quickly, and never let off. I'm still off my mark technically, and choreography-wise as well, but once I got warmed up I had some really nice rallies. I hit all my typical go-for moves, including a diving butterfly on one side, but... not on the other side.

Probably the best news is, I ended up putting in a full 2-hour session tonight. And that was actually kicking, not just pacing the floor. I got going right away when the space became available. The cleaning crew usually shows up between 9-10 and interrupts me, but they were late tonight, and I just kept going. Why stop, when you're having so much fun? Just as I realized I had gone past the 2 hour mark, and decided to pack it in, they showed up. Perfect timing... Iz Happy!

2:00 / 71:30 - Thanks for tuning in!

The trying session

2011-12-02T05:11:59Z

My Thanksgiving holiday vacation is over. It was fun while it lasted! I went to Universal Studios Island of Adventures and rode the roller coasters over and over again with my kids. I also got to see the launch of the Mars Science Laboratory; the first rocket launch I've ever gotten to see in person.

But, back to footbag. Tonight wasn't the best. I was sporting a headache, abdominal pains, and some of the worst sciatica I've had in years. Half the muscles in my left leg felt like they were cramping. My vastus medialis keeps feeling like it's got electricity running through it, tingling or burning.

Problem is, I already took a week off. I don't get 2nd chances to kick, especially in the winter. It's Thursday, 8-10p in the secret hideout, or nothing. So, I kick. And it was tough. My headache was fleeting enough, it didn't bother me. But the abdominal pains wouldn't go away. I was rippin' em, that's for sure, but not footbag moves. It's a damn good think a bathroom is nearby at the Secret Hideout. My sciatica usually calms down once I get moving too, but, not tonight. Now if feels like I've got knives jabbing in some of my muscles.

With much on my mind, I'm pushing it to claim I did 1:15 tonight. I probably spent almost half the session pacing the floor in agitated thought. It's a moral hazard of kicking alone. When I kick in public, I'm totally focused on keeping the show going.

The results were... as expected. I did manage to hit at least one each of my 'bigger' moves. But mostly, I struggled.

Still, I did it. I pushed through, pushed on, pushed it out. I think next week will be better. It's been so long since I took a week off, I'd forgotten what it's like to get back in the groove. After tonight, I've got 4 more possible sessions for the year. The good news is, Xmas and New Years aren't close to Thursday, so I won't lose any more sessions to holidays.

1:15 / 69:30 - Thanks for tuning in!

Ur missin' it! WAIT... NO. I'M. NOT!

2011-11-17T03:40:57Z

While stuck in a 1pm meeting, I was mentally forming my next tweet:

Last Friday, weather forecast said, "Thurs looks good for kicking!" This Tues., forecast says, "Too bad, U missed the good weather. Sucker."

By the time I got back to my office, I was getting depres... wait, no, fuck that shit. I'm skipping work to kick!

In less than an hour, I was on Speakers Circle. And where were the circle-hogging preachers? Who cares! I'v always been the hardest core Speaker Circle Freak Show. I'm the first one there in the spring, the last one there in the fall. The preachers have all slunk away. The circle is MINE MINE MINE.

I took advantage of that. Just getting one more outdoor session was enough to peg the stoke-meter. I wasn't actually hitting near as many harder moves; I think torques were the only 4-add move I was landing. But, I was keeping the bag off the ground and having some great rallies with the rest of my moves. This week, unlike last filming session, I got a total of 6 rallies with over 30 2+ add contacts, on tape. I feel vindicated after the film-choke of my last session.

The best part? I finally caught a pair of dives, live, on tape. I've been working on them, and really started getting the feel for the set a few weeks ago. Now, it's all falling into place. Many thanks to Ben who gave me the encouragement, and a few pointers, to get here. Next up, get one more dex in there for a diving butterfly.

I started kicking at 3. It gets dark about 5. I not only drove that session right into the dark, a couple guys showed up just as I was about to quit. We ended up hacking for another half hour, straining our eyes to see the bag by streetlights. These guys were solid kickers, too, with a couple of tricks each they finally busted out for me. Let's hope they're still interested, and show up again, next spring.

Next week, no footbag. Family obs, instead. That's OK, I haven't taken a week off for awhile, and I've already buried my goal of 60 hours for the year. I'm already almost at my goal-after-the-goal: 70 hours. After that, no more goals, just seeing where final tally lands.

2:00 / 68:15 - Thanks for tuning in!

Going Underground for Winter

2011-11-12T03:10:15Z

Yes, the Secret Hideout has been put back in action! But first, the "Does Not Represent" video from last week's epic scorched-earth outdoor session (which would not be caught on tape):

Rarely have I burned up the circle like I did last week, without some proof. I was throwing down all my best moves; torques, whirls, drifters, paradox whirls, new ducks and dives, even a paradox drifter and a barfly. But I choked so hard every time I turned the camera on! D'oh!

That was probably my last outdoor session of the best fall kicking season I can remember in a while. It was a great run, but I've finally run out of weather luck. Hello, Secret Hideout. I will face you with dignity.

I've not been there since midsummer, until I scouted it last week. Key still worked, place seemed the same. It was supposed to be empty by 8pm. I was so anxious to get going on last night's session, I had a super-close call with the last student workers leaving. I was at the door, fumbling for my key, when I realized there were still people inside, heading straight for me! Thank God for modern technology; they were busy texting, and totally oblivious. They never noticed me. Whew!

Once I got inside, I set my sights on an hour long session. Better yet, an hour and a half. As I got started, I realized again: This place isn't so bad. It's warm, well lit, and big enough with a high enough ceiling for some serious kicking. In fact, this place is pretty good. I've got access to Internet Radio!

My session started with Last.fm streaming out a killer set of funky beat shredding tracks, and I cranked it up! I also discovered that so many footbags (I've never had 5 in my rotation before) don't fit on the shelf where I usually put them with my radio and computer (instead of iPod) for music. But... 4 footbags will, and I'm always using one of 'em. So, it's still good

The great news is, I've made a real breakthrough in my ducking / diving set. I've finally got the feel for getting the set at the right height; I'm almost always doing the duck / dive part successfully, but still not always landing the next stall. I swear I'll catch one on tape soon!

I also have a confession to make: When I'm kicking in private and enjoying the music, sometimes I'll keep dancing for a few moments after I drop the bag. Sometimes, the body movement feels so good, the body just has to keep moving. Especially if it was a really good, saucy rally!

One other small bonus of having my computer at the Secret Hideout... it was super easy to type a few quick thoughts I had during the session, to help me with my blog post later. Writing this blog post a day later, those notes have been a tremendous help in remembering the details of the session.

I faded pretty hard near the hour mark, and then, my phone rang. It was a friend with a dire emergency: he had a new ceiling fan he needed help installing, and bottles of good beer crying, no... they were absolutely bawling, "Drink Me! Driiiiiiink Meeeeeee!"

Now, I don't know about you, but the sound of wailing, needs-to-be-drank malt beverages, mixed with a project involving tools and electricity, is an utterly irresistible siren song to me. Big, bold, red letters start flashing in my head like a highway detour sign:

BEER. TOOLS. ELECTRICITY. EXIT NOW.

I had to steel my concentration just long enough to do one last thing: A 25 contact guiltless run with Mr. Softie.

2:00 / 1:15 / 66:15 - Thanks for tuning in!

Circling the Circle on a Friday Afternoon

2011-10-29T15:56:35Z

Another awesome session! I bailed on my usual Footbag Thursday because the weather was marginal, and I was stuck working an important project anyway. But, I got my schedule cleared on Friday just long enough to enjoy the peak weather with a footbag session on Speakers Circle!

This session was loaded with variety, so I went a bit crazy with the videos this week and posted 4 of them. When I got there, there was a "Jumproping for Muslim" thing going on, with the circle full of people jumping rope. Someone dressed in a gorilla suit was also there playing an accordion, and I taped a rally with me kicking to the Accordion Playing Gorilla (sorry you can't really see the mask in the video).

The jumproping group left shortly afterwards. Then, KCOU 88.1 FM showed up and started playing some tunes. I taped an impromptu promo rally for them that also features my Phat Tyre Sport. A Caped Shadow also came by, and Shadow Hacked with me. Plus, the Circle the Circle session feature rally (at top).

Two other people also came by and kicked with me for a bit; one of them looks quite ready to take it to next level with some freestyle moves. I hope I can keep in touch with these guys over the winter. Still don't have anything but the Secret Hideout, and I haven't brought myself to that, just yet.

I'm not giving up on outdoor sessions. There are still some occasional really nice days, and if I can skate out of work to play footbag, I plan to do just that. Weather forecasts say next Tuesday might be nice. Iz Hatching Planz!

2:00 / 63:00 - Thanks for tuning in!

Kicking for OccupyCOMO

2011-10-21T00:50:18Z

Hey, I was there first, but... I don't mind showing up to kick for the cause now that the OccupyCOMO group has occupied one of my favorite kicking venues. They're a lot more respectful than the preachers in Speakers Circle, that's for sure!

I've been overwhelmed by "blog slog" lately. I used to see how fast I could "turn around" one of my footbag sessions, with blog and video posted and announcements out to Twitter, FB, and the like. Sometimes, I could do it in 2 hours. Now, it seems to take me days to get around to ingesting, producing, and posting.

Last week, I posted the vid, but didn't tweet or post it anywhere but YouTube. I meant to write a blog post, but... after a couple days, the thoughts and meaning of the moment have leaked away. What would I write? After getting over my shock of dead batteries last week, I pretty much tore into my session. This week, the cold, wind, and a possibly busted camera couldn't hold me back. I broke past my 60 hour per year goal today, with almost 10 weeks to spare.

Now, with the summer season over and little prospect of a decent indoor winter place, I'll be stuck to writing blog posts. Let's hope I can keep them going. My goal is to capture at least 5 years of my "end of career" zenith. I'm only in 3 so far, I can't give up now.

2:00 / 1:45 / 61:00 - Thanks for tuning in!

Return to Red Shorts in October

2011-10-09T01:49:21Z

Yes, the black shorts will be back. I plan to rotate each pair of shorts in turn. I also have a specific rotation for my footbags: the PhatTyre Sport, Mr. Softy, Fattie (original), Repeat, and The Man. I'm trying to stick to one full song per footbag, one taped rally per song. Discipline and Regimen. I haz them!

I would be inclined to tape later rallies with each bag, after I've adjusted to each one, but this week I was killing the first rally with each new bag/song, so I started filming that. Unfortunately my best super rally on tape won't export out of my camera (MiniDV) correctly. Still, the one I could post isn't too bad; 45 consecutive 2+ adds.

I started early-ish. The weather has been phenomenal! Reaching ~60 deg. F. around 9:30, sunny, usually not too windy early in the morning. Having the students around is so motivating! I ended up putting in 2:45 and only stopped because I had afternoon appointments. One more epic session this length, and I will meet my annual footbag goal. Here's hoping for continued great weather!

2:45 / 57:15 - Thanks for tuning in!

Black Shorts Debut

2011-09-30T01:00:23Z

That's right, I've gotten a new pair of footbag shorts. Shout goes out to my honey for getting them for me; I love the new shorts, love you, thank you so much!

Great weather, great time, felt great, kicked well, had an awesome time! Mizzou students are the best. I get all kinds of props from these peeps. I've got another in-depth student interview project in the works, did an impromptu 30-second interview for another project, and wound up on who knows how many other cell phones and cameras today.

I remembered to search Twitter after my session, and found 5 tweet-outs. My favorite? the hashtag #badass. And, as usual, the words old and shirtless top the word cloud. Grooming the "Weird Old Guy" image? I'm doin' it rite!

Feeling great today too, smoking through 2:15 of high-energy oldschool before the first twinges of muscle cramps. I had a meeting coming up, I had to stop anyway. There was none of the popcorn calves or muscle cramps today; in fact I was able to hammer the bike pretty hard on my way home at the end of the day.

Oh, I also decided to give my PhatTyre Pro to some some complete stranger, because he said he liked my videos and asked if I had an old footbag I could send him. Since my PhatTyre Pro was a gift to me, I decided to pass it on. Best wishes yoyoskater! Shred it up!

2:00 last week, 2:15 this week, I'm up to 54:30. Thanks for tuning in!

Roots n Blues n Barbecue Fest

2011-09-12T02:29:36Z

Sorry, no video this week. Bringing along my video equipment is too much for the uncertainty of a music festival like this. I need simplicity and mobility: water, towel, footbags. Bicycle.

My experience shows why. Ticket prices had doubled, and I didn't want to pay $35 to play footbag (if allowed to) inside the gates for just a couple hours. I wanted a level, paved place just outside the fencing where I could hear the music. But the fencing and barricades were well designed to foil my plans.

I found one decent spot near the Peace Park stage and kicked to one band for maybe 15 minutes until they broke set. I decided to check out some other spots again, taking off on my bicycle. It started raining! I ended up spending almost 30 minutes alternately seeking shelter from rain, or looking for a halfway dry spot to kick.

Thank goodness I was traveling light! I was about to give up and go back home. I had stopped in front of a checkpoint, beyond which was a potential kicking spot that was still outside the wristband gate proper. One of the volunteers, of course, asked me if they could help me find my way.

"No, I'm actually looking for a place to play Hacky Sack." I said, staring intently at an empty stretch of sidewalk, dry and sheltered by some trees, just past them and some cones.

"Hey... " the other volunteer started. "...aren't you that amazing guy that I used to see play on campus years ago?"

"Speakers Circle?" I asked, then, without waiting for an answer, "Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's me."

I got the kicking spot.

It turns out this guy used to roam campus with a camera, and catch me kicking in Speakers Circle sometimes, nearly 15 years ago. Another volunteer at the actual wristband gate turned out to know me through the local newspaper discussion boards. He was delighted to have me kick right there, just outside the fence on a nice wide piece of sidewalk, where I could hear the band perfectly.

It stopped raining, too.

The rest of the session was awesome! People coming or going from the festival kept bunching up at the gate to watch, often pulling out smartphones or cameras for a quick shot or giving me props. The volunteer kept taking me up when people stopped. A number of people obviously knew about me already, greeting me with my preferred "Hack Man" moniker.

Sweet!

Rarely does a session experience turn around like that. In the end, I was very pleased. And exhausted. I felt great. A day later, I'm still in the halo of euphoria. I love freestyle footbag!

1:45 / 50:15 - Thanks for tuning in!

48th Birthday Footbag Bash!

2011-09-01T03:05:05Z

And, a celebration of over 30 years of playing footbag!

(slightly marred by prosthletyzers...)

Overall, a great day, a great birthday treat to spend a couple hours kicking on Speakers Circle. I played well, but the heat and the sun together really took it out of me!

I'm about to give Speakers Circle up for dead. Jeb and the hoards of his variants dominates the circle all day, every day. I haven't been able to kick there during session without a conflict with these people for a couple of years now. Never a break, never a shred of courtesy, never even the vaguest consideration of sharing the space. Not even today, on my 48th birthday, 30-year celebration session.

Today's group was a particularly (cough) righteous (cough) group. I swear I had to ask one of them to stop prosthletyzing to me over 10 times in a row. Another kept coming over, suggesting I move elsewhere, asking when I would leave, just being... abrasive. Most of them made snide comments about my footbag while they were hogging the circle.

Oh well... I still had a great time kicking and got lots of props from the students. I didn't shoot much video, just 4:20 worth over 2 hours, but... I wrote stuff like "It's Hack Man's 48th Birthday!" and "Celebrating Over 30 Years of Kicking!" in sidewalk chalk around the circle, and "Hacky Circle," and of course my wacky internet handle, h4x354x0r!

I'm very pleased to be celebrating over 30 years of footbag. It's been an incredible journey. I've met incredible people. The gift of footbag has been one of the most powerful positive forces in my life. I grew up, emotionally, in the footbag community. It took a long time. I'd like to thank the footbag community for their incredible patience, and ask forgiveness for being such a flaming fucking ass sometimes.

Footbag really changed my life. It was that spark of inspriation, of passion, dedication, purpose, and the joys and rewards of hard work. It was, for lack of a better analogy, my salvation. Because footbag did so much for me, I felt compelled to share. I traveled. I competed. I ran tournaments and clubs.

It took me 15 years (and a couple of kids) to realize footbag was MY salvation, but it wasn't going to be EVERYONE'S salvation. Yeah, slow learner there

It's still totally awesome, because footbag can still be my salvation - even if it isn't anyone else's. I've loved footbag since that first circle, where for one of the first times in my life I was encouraged to keep trying an activity with a group, despite the fact that I sucked. That gave me so much momentum that I ended up getting pretty freaking good (for my day). And, I still love playing footbag today, just as much as I ever did. More than ever, in fact.

At this point, I would go so far as to claim my weekly footbag sessions as spiritual. I drink a gallon of water and sweat it all out, cleansing my body. I lose myself in the music and the motion. I push myself. I inspire students. I get my funky groove on. I completely exhaust myself. People are always grabbing a quick shot of me with their phones and cameras. It rocks! It almost always leaves me with an incredible sense of physical, emotional, and spiritual wellness.

Maybe I should try to declare Hacky Sack my official religion. But, why bother? I believe it is, regardless, official declaration or not. It works for me.

Keep being beautiful, everyone!

2:00/ 48:30 - Thanks for tuning in!

The Follow at Courthouse Square

2011-08-27T04:50:56Z

On arrival at City Hall, I could hear a band playing in the distance...

Yeeeeeaaaaahhhhh!!! It turns out to be The Follow, playing a block and a half away at Courthouse Square, where the Twilight Festivals used to be held on Thursdays, years ago. It's probably been over 10 years since I first got to kick to them, and instantly became a devoted ~~stalker~~ fan when they played at the festivals. One time, they even had to ask me to stop kicking when they were playing in the tiny Walnut Street park. I was getting WAY too wild that evening.

Since the end of the Twilight festivals, I kinda lost track of them. So finding them in town, by sheer luck, was a very special treat. The Follow was here this time to raise money and collect school supplies for Joplin Missouri US, which got struck by a devastating tornado this spring. This band is so awesome... in so many ways! Thank you for sharing your time and passion for music to help your brothers and sisters. You ROCK.

The final bonus for the day: my daughter even showed up and kicked with me for a bit.

Next week is my big 48th Birthday Footbag Bash. I'm headed back to Speakers Circle for a late morning session, roughly 10-noon. The best part? A record enrollment of students is back on campus!

It's been 3 weeks since the last blog post. Gotta do the accounting thing...

2:00, 2:00, 1:30 / 46:30 - Thanks for tuning in!

Concert Groupie

2011-07-22T03:45:23Z

Downtown concert got moved, I moved with it.

The Blue Note had to change concert locations because too many business owners were complaining about the 9th street closing disruption. The new venue is totally awesome for a small concert: a private park next to MoJo's they can cordon off. There's no place to kick inside the area, but there are a few places nearby. I tried the Cafe Berlin parking lot.

I started late, because of the heat, and with the first act of the concert, so I only had about an hour of sunlight. After that, streetlights. I finally packed it in at an hour forty five. Another great session, I didn't really play all that great but got tons of props from the crowd.

1:45 / 41:00 - Thanks for tuning in!

Adds new Phat Tyre footbag to lineup

2011-07-15T03:11:27Z

Concert downtown tonight. Music. And People. Everywhere!

Thanks to the generosity of Flying Clipper / Dirtbag Footbags, I have added a brand new Phat Tyre to my rotation of footbags. Tonight I was changing bags each time I took a towel / water break.

The Phat Tyre is obviously a worthy footbag. I had some really good rallies with it. I like it a lot, but I was having trouble adjusting to the weight and size compared to my other footbags. 80g! I'm definitely keeping it in my rotation. I can't lie and say there's no difference between this $12 footbag, and the custom freestyler-made footbags like my Abshires. But the Phat Tyre, all in all, is still a pretty good bag.

I bet it works great for the intermediate hack circles, and that's one reason I like it so much. Having a more durable "hack circle" bag in my arsenal, that I'm used to, will be nice.

I got to kick to the entire set of Drew Davis. A wee bit countrified for me, mebbe. But, live music is always inspiring, and there were tons of people coming by. I had an awesome session, and got major props from the crowd. I wish I could have kept kicking as the main attraction Darius Rucker took the stage, but... I was at the 2:15 mark, and I was TOAST.

I also got another journalism student that wants to do a story on me. I had to warn him the J-School profs might be tired of me by now, but he's still gonna make the pitch. I really enjoy being the subject of their projects! It helps sharpen my interview skills, and I usually get a good footbag promotion tool that I can share with the world.

2:15 / 39:15 - Thanks for tuning in!

Three New Footbags!

2011-07-08T04:16:02Z

There's nothing like 3 new footbags to pump me up! All the other forces were against me: rain today, I had to start late to get dry pavement; plus, one of those "heavy lifting, massive contorting" kind of physical work days at work. My back was killing me as I was prepping to kick. It even felt very strained for a while after I started.

But those three new Abshire footbags? They delivered the Total. Freaking. Smackdown. on the negatives. I wasn't carving up the difficult moves, but I was still playing well and keeping the bag off the ground. I had an awesome time tonight!

In fact, I had such a good time, I'm officially declaring today my 30th anniversary of playing footbag. I don't really know the exact date, it was probably actually later in the summer, but I'm tired of waiting, and believe these 3 new footbags are my anniversary present.

Yes, BTW, it was hot and extremely humid. I hit total saturation, even to the point where my socks started 'sklishing' inside my shoes. Remind me, I need to bring even more towels. Two aren't enough.

LATE UPDATE: Flying Clipper is also going to send me one of their new Phat Tyre Footbags! I will soon have four footbags in my kicking rotation. I feel rich

2:00 / 37:00 - Thanks for tuning in!